Vegas shooting victim Erick Silva was security guard who led others to safety

Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said all 58 victims in the shooting at a Las Vegas concert have been identified and families notified. Fudenberg declined to answer questions about how the victims died. (Oct. 5)
AP

Erick Silva, 21, a security guard working at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, was among those killed Oct. 1, 2017, in the mass shooting in the Las Vegas.(Photo: Courtesy of Contemporary Services Corporation)

Erick Silva, a security guard who was working at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, tried to lead others to safety before he was killed Sunday during the mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip.

Silva was in front of the stage, inside a barricade, during country singer Jason Aldean's set. As the shooting began, the 21-year-old Silva helped concertgoers over the barricade to escape through an exit on the other side of the stage.

Another guard helped attendees with disabilities in an ADA-accessible areaout of the venue, according to Jay Purves, vice president of Contemporary Services Corporation (CSC) Nevada.

That guard was shot in the arm, Purves said.

"We train our staff on active-shooter situations, so as soon as the shots started ringing out, our guards did what they are trained to do to get people out," he said.

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Courtesy Family Photo

In this June 6, 2015 photo, U.S. Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Charleston Hartfield of the 100th Quartermaster Company poses for a photo at Rainbow Falls near Hilo, Hawaii. Hartfield was one of the people killed in Las Vegas after a gunman opened fire on Oct. 1, 2017, at a country music festival.
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Makenzie Hollar, AP

This Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, photo provided by Tom Day Sr., shows his son Tom Day Jr, with Day Jr.'s family, at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas. Day Jr., was one of the people killed in Las Vegas after a gunman opened fire on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, at the music festival.
AP

Silva, a Las Vegas resident and three-year CSC employee, was the "epitome of integrity," Purves said.

"He was always the first one there and the last one to leave and went above and beyond what we ever asked of him."

Purves started a GoFundMe campaign for Silva's family that had raised $16,000 as of Friday afternoon.

In an interview with KTNV, Silva's mother wept, saying her son had "a bright future" and that she was still expecting him to walk into the room and say her name.

Silva was a graduate of Las Vegas High School and "had a contagious laugh," Elizabeth Danae, a friend of Silva's from school, said on Facebook. "His heart was so pure and he always looked out for his friends."

Silva's sister, Daisy Hernandez, has organized several vigils for Silva through Facebook and is planning a memorial to be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

"RIP our brother, we know you'll be watching our backs from above and catching all those fake wristbands that don't belong there," read a post by CSC Las Vegas on its Facebook page.